Producer: Venus La Universal 
Region: Montsant, Catalonia, Spain 
Blend: Grenache, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah 
Year: 2020 

Wine Advocate, 93+ Points 

"The red 2018 Dido coms from their youngest vineyards, mostly under 30 years old, on granite soils that provide freshness and tension to compensate for the warmth of the southern Montsant. It's a blend of Garnacha, Syrah, Cariñena, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from five different growers. The Garnacha and Syrah are fermented together with some 30% whole clusters and a long maceration, and the rest of the grapes fermented destemmed with a short maceration, all with indigenous yeasts and mostly in concrete vats. Sixty percent of the volume matured in barrels and foudres of sizes varying from 300 to 4,000 liters, and the rest was kept in concrete for 16 months. It seems like the combination of granite soils and the cooler year has worked wonders for this wine, which showed spectacularly. They say this is what they wanted to achieve with this wine; it is floral, expressive, clean and focused, with perfectly integrated oak, all the varieties complementing each other—not showing any varietal character—and a juicy palate with astonishing balance. This is truly outstanding. This comes at an unbelievable price and should be widely available. 88,357 bottles, 520 magnums and 35 double magnums produced. It was bottled between December 2019 and January 2020." 

About Venus La Unviersal:

Like many of the great stories, the story of Venus La Universal begins with love. As the children of two of the pioneers of the Priorat D.O., Sara Pérez and René Barbier fils grew up as neighbors, picking grapes together and looking on as their fathers, Josep Lluis Pérez of Mas Martinet and René Barbier père of Clos Mogador, boldly worked to tame that wild landscape.

Though they had known each other their whole lives, their romance did not begin until they traveled together representing their respective bodegas on a sales trip to California. They married shortly after and are now the proud parents of four young children. Though they both remain very involved in their family estates, Venus is their passion project. Set in the somewhat sleepier D.O. of Montsant, where they also make their home, it is a refuge for them from the wild vicissitudes of the international market for Priorat and the pressure that comes with the intense spotlight that shines on that region.

René and Sara have taken the goddess as their inspiration for this project. One of their stated goals is “to interpret femininity through a bottle of wine.” This might seem an odd choice for a bodega that elaborates Grenache- and Carignan-based wines in Southern Cataluña, but it makes sense once you taste. These are elegant, refined expressions of Montsant, with impeccable balance and texture. 

Alcohol: 13.5% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ from pictured.